


Healing

by yellowkissyfish



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series), The Unsleeping City
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Found Family, Gen, Stock Market Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 19:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21041363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowkissyfish/pseuds/yellowkissyfish
Summary: Spending a little time in Kingston's head during the intense battle against Robert Moses.





	Healing

**Author's Note:**

> A couple housekeeping things: firstly, this is my first fanfiction, after many years of lurking around AO3. I can't believe there's only 35 fics in this fandom! So, write the fics you want to see in the world, right?
> 
> This is tagged for major character death, but only because of certain canon events that are recounted.
> 
> I don't own any of this - plot, dialogue, characters, whatever! Go throw money at Dropout, please!
> 
> Thanks <3

# Healing

“You _stupid motherfucker!_ You come for my family, you come for my friends? I will fuckin’ drop you and _anyone_ you attempt to bring at me!”

...

“As a favor to a friend... and someone I respect... who do you want me to drop? Your friend the eagle, or the kid? One of ‘em’s got to go.”

Kingston Brown felt his anger rising up to choke him, closing his throat and causing his blood to pound in his ears. He couldn’t give Robert an answer if he wanted to, and he really didn’t know what he would say anyway. He could see Kugrash wrapped around Robert, tearing at him with his claws, and knew he could never be the one to make that call, to let his friend get hurt – killed? – especially when Kugrash had just reconnected with his sons. Kingston knew Robert wasn’t bluffing. Visions of Liz, beaten and bloodied in the hospital, danced before his eyes. But if Robert went after the kid? Went after Pete?

Kingston’s fury gave way to a sharp pang of guilt as he realized that in another world, if things had gone just a little bit differently, it would be him standing and pointing at Pete, preparing to strike. A distinctly cold and magical part of Kingston reminded him that it would have been the right choice. The safety of his city and of his people had to come before everything and everyone. Kingston had proved a long time ago that there was nothing he would not give up to fulfill that duty. And yet, Kingston felt again the deep shame of the moment when Pete had reached out to him, despite the rift between them, and saved him. Pete didn’t deserve this. He hadn’t asked for any of this, not the magic, nor the danger, nor the responsibility. When Kingston had become the Vox Populi, it had felt fundamentally right for him. The weight of responsibility on his shoulders was familiar and comfortable. But for Pete, there had been dangerous growing pains, and Kingston knew – was proud of – just how far Pete had come since meeting him. He just needed a little guidance. He just needed – 

And then Pete fell, and Kingston was already moving, already pushing through the battle to get to him. His guilt, his terror, and his anger would all have to wait, because Pete was lying on the ground dead. Not struggling, not just down, fully and really dead. His glassy eyes peered out from beneath his cowboy hat and he looked young – really young, and small, despite his recent commitment to working out with Ricky. The unnatural, dreamlike quality that usually shrouded him disappeared, and he was just another lost kid in the city. Dropping to his knees beside Pete, Kingston felt a tenderness he would never know how to express well up beside his fury. Pete was the Vox Phantasma, but he was also a citizen of New York City. He was a friend. He was, in some way, already family. Robert Moses was going to die.

Somewhere in the background, Kingston calmly registered the visceral violence happening behind him. Robert had dropped Kugrash – dropped, but not killed, Kingston noted – and Sofia, fearless Sofia, was giving him hell for it. In a moment, he would have to deal with the rest of this fight, but for now, the only thing that mattered was bringing back the kid.

He placed his hands gently on Pete’s stomach and steadied himself, confident that the awesome power of the Vox Populi would not fail him.  
“You’re not done yet, kid,” he said gruffly, “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

A jolt of power, intense and pure, caused Pete to arc off the floor in shock. He sat up and took one huge breath – thank Nod – before crying out:

“Ah, Dad!”

Kingston Brown would have sworn his heart stopped in his chest.

“What? Me?”

“Huh?”

“Me? I’m – you just called me –“

“No, I’m sorry, I was just with my dad.”

“Okay, yeah, that’s fine.” Kingston felt his heart restart, with only a small pang of something like grief. “Whoo, that’s crazy. Anyway, uh, we’re still in it, Pete.”

But instead of returning to the battle, Pete took another shaky breath and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Kingston’s middle. Caught up in the sheer relief that Pete was alive, Kingston returned the hug. He should apologize again, properly. He should let Pete know that he could stay at Kingston’s as long as he wanted. He should find out exactly what Pete had learned about him in Nod, and try to explain himself. But the battle was still raging around them, and Pete was already getting up, speaking in everyone’s mind and rallying the troops. Kugrash was still down. His friends needed him. The city needed him. And anyway, he wouldn’t know how to say it if he tried.

Kingston stood and turned to Robert Moses with fire in his eyes and murder in his heart. And because of both his righteous anger that deep, unspoken feeling of warmth as Pete looked to him for guidance, something integral and essential to the city of New York was healed.


End file.
